History of Geoparks
The philosophy behind the Geoparks concept was first introduced at the Digne Convention in 1991 as a means to protect and promote geological heritage and sustainable local development through a global network of territories containing geology of outstanding value. In 1997, in direct response to the ‘Declaration of the Rights of the Memory of the Earth', the Division of Earth Sciences of UNESCO introduced the concept of a UNESCO Geoparks Programme to support national and international endeavours in Earth heritage conservation. In 2000, representatives from four European territories met together to address regional economic development through the protection of geological heritage and the promotion of geotourism.